In Ft. Lauderdale, Juan Rodriguez notes Marlins President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest does not think manager Ozzie Guillen is “the sole reason for this miserable year.” Everybody “had a role, from owner Jeffrey Loria to team president David Samson on down.” In regards to complaints about the dimensions of Marlins Park, Beinfest said, “I think there is too big a deal being made because the walls are the walls and if you let it affect you in any way, and I’m not speaking specifically about our players, that’s not productive. You have to deal with it. Use it to your advantage. Hit the balls in the gaps.” Beinfest said of the ballpark, “The roof’s open. The roof’s closed. It’s windy. It’s humid. It’s this. It’s that. I’m not sure we have enough data to say it’s this or that. Is it spacious? Absolutely” (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 9/19).
MET GAINS: On Long Island, Marc Carig notes MLB Commissioner Bud Selig “stayed on message regarding the state of the Mets, once again reiterating his support of the Wilpon family, even as the franchise deals with financial questions in the aftermath of the Bernard Madoff lawsuit, which was settled in March.” Selig said, “I have no concerns whatsoever.” He added, “I don't consider the Mets a problem in any way, shape or manner. They're on the right track. That should give you your answer” (NEWSDAY, 9/20).
CHICAGO BLUES: In Chicago, Paul Sullivan noted the Cubs entered Tuesday night's game with a home attendance of 2,597,624, and with nine home games remaining had “no chance of surpassing the 3 million mark.” The “last time that happened was in 2003.” The Cubs have seen attendance “drop every season since” setting a franchise record in ’08 with 3,300,200 fans. Despite the decline, the Cubs “decided to maintain the third highest average ticket price in the majors this year” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/19). Cubs VP/Tickets Sales & Service Colin Faulkner said that the team is “on pace to finish with a final season home attendance of around 2.8 million fans” (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 9/17).
EXCHANGE PROGRAM: In Houston, Zachary Levine noted Astros GM Jeff Luhnow does not deny “there is a strong business incentive to wanting to turn Mexico into Astros country and the Astros into a team with a little more of a Mexican presence.” Luhnow said, “We’re hoping that we can ultimately get more Mexican players here and ultimately connect more with our Mexican community, which is pretty substantial not only in Houston but also in South Texas and all of Texas, for that matter.” Levine wrote as the Astros “work toward a spring training game in Mexico City or Monterrey in 2014 with a caravan trip in 2013, it’s worth noting the first 51 years of the franchise’s history have seen almost no contributions from Mexican players” (CHRON.com, 9/17).
